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With Andrew having been committed to revision and his final exams at Loughborough University, "normal" restoration activity has been a trifle curtailed over the last few weeks. Nonetheless you cannot keep a good preservationist down and the Class 14 in particular has progressed.
Class 14 D9524
Having established the speed range of the Voith auxiliary output, design work has gone ahead on the mechanical drive for the battery charge alternator and exhauster. As received, the alternator was driven from a front PTO groove on the DV8's crankshaft. Given that this was a C section groove with an A section wedge belt, the belt was running in the base of the groove and the resultant ratio had the alternator running too slow to achieve much output. The alternator has now been relocated in the rear compartment, and a new pulley fitted which drives the alternator and provides a face to support a Centaflex type A coupling for the short drive shaft thence back for the exhauster. A support bearing is in place and only the shaft is awaited.
In the cab, work has begun on the cab interior - the right hand side window has now received the wooden surrounding battens, and work has begun on cutting the surrounding trim pieces from 6mm ply - the originals have de-laminated with age. This work has involved Andrew's mother and the woodwork department of Sheffield College!
Under the cab the original Westinghouse standstill detector has been removed, stripped and parts are away for modification. On reassembly it will become the electronic drive unit for the speedo and standstill detection.
In the engine bay parts have been machined to improve the engine mounts. As received the brackets were held together with bolts, "shimmed" in columns of washers - hardly satisfactory for an engine with a dry weight of 3.5 tons. Solid plates will shortly be substituted.
The first of the ex Nene Valley horn cowls now adorns the front of the '14 and the second awaits collection from the fabricators, who have modified it to fit the rear casing. See (and hear!) D9524 sound its horns in concert with Elsecar resident Peckett "Mardy Monster" last Sunday by searching for 'D9524' on you-tube!
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